Could become D.C. sports’ first MVP in 25 years and the first Capital to win the Hart

ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Hockey League announced today that Washington left wing Alex Ovechkin is one of three finalists for the Hart Trophy, which is presented annually to the player judged most valuable to his team. Ovechkin joins Calgary’s Jarome Iginla and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin as the three finalists.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association submitted ballots for the Hart Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters announced as finalists. The winner will be announced Thursday, June 12, during the 2008 NHL Awards Television Special, which will be broadcast live throughout the United States on VERSUS and in Canada on CBC from the historic Elgin Theatre in Toronto.

Ovechkin could become the first Washington, D.C., most valuable player in a major North American sport (NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB) since the Washington Redskins’ Joe Theismann in 1983. He would be the first Capital ever to win the Hart Trophy and would join teammate Sergei Fedorov as the only Russian-born players to capture the award (Fedorov won in 1994 as a member of the Detroit Red Wings).

Ovechkin has already claimed the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top point scorer (112 points) and the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the top goal scorer (65 goals). He also led the league in power-play goals (22), game-winning goals (11) and shots (446), while playing all 82 games. Ovechkin scored a higher percentage of his team’s goals than any other player (27.3%) and had a hand in more of his team’s goals than any other player (47.1%).

His 65 goals set a Capitals record and an NHL record for goals by a left wing. Ovechkin wrapped up his third NHL season as the first player since 1996 to reach 60 goals and one of only 12 players all-time to score 65 or more goals. Ovechkin shared the NHL lead with three hat tricks and had two of the league’s four four-goal games all season.

Ovechkin’s +28 rating was seventh in the league and tied for first on the team with Viktor Kozlov and he was among the league’s top 10 in hits (220) and takeaways (69).

Ovechkin, who led the Capitals to the playoffs for the first time since 2003, appeared in his second NHL All-Star Game in January. He was the NHL’s First Star for the months of January and March and was a five-time selection as one of the Three Stars of the week. Ovechkin was named the MVP and the league’s best player by The Hockey News, the “Monster of the Year” by TSN’s Pierre McGuire, the Clutch Scorer and a unanimous choice for MVP by USA Today’s panel and the “Espo Award” winner as the league MVP by Phil Esposito of XM Radio NHL Home Ice.

No big surprise. If he doesn't win it, I'll fall over. This must be what it feels like to be a LeBron fan.

RIP 21

"Nah, I trust the laws of nature to stay constant. I don't pray that the sun will rise tomorrow, and I don't need to pray that someone will beat the Cowboys in the playoffs." - Irn-Bru

Alex Ovechkin is a finalist for the Lester B. Pearson Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding player as voted by his peers, the NHL Players' Association announced yesterday. The other finalists are Calgary's Jarome Iginla and Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin.

Ovechkin, who led the league in scoring and the Capitals to the playoffs for the first time in five years this season, also is up for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. The 22-year-old previously was selected as a finalist for the Pearson after his rookie season in 2005-06. The winner will be announced June 12 in Toronto.

JansenFan wrote:Bruce Boudreau is also one of the three finalists for the coach of the year (Adams Trophy) with the coaches of the Red Wings and Canadiens. I gotta think he's the favorite.

Compared with the Red Wings and the Canadiens, Bruce was hired to coach a minor league hockey club. Only he believed he could get that team to the playoffs from day one. I've got to agree that he should be the favorite.

GSPODS wrote:If Alex doesn't win the Hart, I'm calling foul and fix. Nobody was more valuable to his team or to the NHL overall this season.

No way. Lidstrom won't win because he's a defenseman, but in terms of "value" to the team? The Wings were #1 in goals against and #3 in goals scored. The complete scoring drought when the Wings were injured on D in February shows how the Wings D and O were driven from their D. Lidstrom was #2 in the league in +/-, behind by one point of teammate Datsuk. Alex is a great player, but I'd take Lidstrom any day to build a team around.

Groucho: Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him

Proverb: Failure is not falling down. Failure is not getting up again

Twain: A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

GSPODS wrote:If Alex doesn't win the Hart, I'm calling foul and fix. Nobody was more valuable to his team or to the NHL overall this season.

No way. Lidstrom won't win because he's a defenseman, but in terms of "value" to the team? The Wings were #1 in goals against and #3 in goals scored. The complete scoring drought when the Wings were injured on D in February shows how the Wings D and O were driven from their D. Lidstrom was #2 in the league in +/-, behind by one point of teammate Datsuk. Alex is a great player, but I'd take Lidstrom any day to build a team around.

The Red Wings make the playoffs without Lidstrom.
The Capitals don't even smell the #8 seed without Ovechkin.
Lidstrom will probably once again win the Norris, and no one would argue.

GSPODS wrote:The Red Wings make the playoffs without Lidstrom.The Capitals don't even smell the #8 seed without Ovechkin.Lidstrom will probably once again win the Norris, and no one would argue.

I agree with this and yet it's completely not persuasive that it makes Ovechkin more valuable to his team then Lidstrom. The Caps don't go to the playoffs and lose in the first round without O. So? The Wings are 8-2 in the playoffs and going to the conference finals with Lidstrom. Does that happen without him? Every round it gets harder without the guy who runs the Wings show.

Is measurement of the contribution to the team just the difference between them going to the playoffs with or without you? In fact your point is completely consistent with my contention that Lidstrom is the most valuable to the team. I don't dispute O is the best individual player. Sure, the best individual player can take a mediocre team to the playoffs. Can the best individual player get them out of the first round? Apparently no. Where would the Wings be without Lidstrom? In the playoffs? Yes. In the conference finals with a sweep in round 2? Probably not. Maybe in the Conference finals, probably not this easily. Certainly facing a more formidable task in Dallas or San Jose to go to the finals.

Groucho: Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him

Proverb: Failure is not falling down. Failure is not getting up again

Twain: A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

GSPODS wrote:The Red Wings make the playoffs without Lidstrom.The Capitals don't even smell the #8 seed without Ovechkin.Lidstrom will probably once again win the Norris, and no one would argue.

I agree with this and yet it's completely not persuasive that it makes Ovechkin more valuable to his team then Lidstrom. The Caps don't go to the playoffs and lose in the first round without O. So? The Wings are 8-2 in the playoffs and going to the conference finals with Lidstrom. Does that happen without him? Every round it gets harder without the guy who runs the Wings show.

Is measurement of the contribution to the team just the difference between them going to the playoffs with or without you? In fact your point is completely consistent with my contention that Lidstrom is the most valuable to the team. I don't dispute O is the best individual player. Sure, the best individual player can take a mediocre team to the playoffs. Can the best individual player get them out of the first round? Apparently no. Where would the Wings be without Lidstrom? In the playoffs? Yes. In the conference finals with a sweep in round 2? Probably not. Maybe in the Conference finals, probably not this easily. Certainly facing a more formidable task in Dallas or San Jose to go to the finals.

The argument is whether the MVP is the league's best player, or the league's most valuable player to his team. Ovechkin is both.

The way I would argue this is that Ovechkin would put up the same numbers on any team, including the Red Wings. Stick Lidstrom on the Capitals defense and watch that plus - minus rating drop like a stone.

Lidstrom is the MVP of the Wings, but not the league. No one on the Wings is irreplacable because they are year in' year out, loaded with talent. Ovie accounted for 27 percent of hte Caps goals and participated in 47 percent of the goals scored. He was also the guy that led the team emotionally, physically and spiritually.

There is no argument in my opinion.

PS I'm posting from my phone so please forgive any typos I may have missed.

RIP 21

"Nah, I trust the laws of nature to stay constant. I don't pray that the sun will rise tomorrow, and I don't need to pray that someone will beat the Cowboys in the playoffs." - Irn-Bru

JansenFan wrote:Lidstrom is the MVP of the Wings, but not the league. No one on the Wings is irreplacable because they are year in' year out, loaded with talent. Ovie accounted for 27 percent of hte Caps goals and participated in 47 percent of the goals scored. He was also the guy that led the team emotionally, physically and spiritually.

There is no argument in my opinion.

PS I'm posting from my phone so please forgive any typos I may have missed.

In the end it's opinion. But this also describes Lidstrom, "He was also the guy that led the team emotionally, physically and spiritually." Is it less impressive that he does that on a team that as you describe as "are year in' year out, loaded with talent?" I think that his being the clear leader of a team with the caliber of players like Datsuk, Zetterberg, Rafalski, Kromwell and Chelios makes it more and not less impressive. And if you ask any Wings fan who the leader and best player on the team is they will say Lidstrom, again amazing considering the caliber of choices.

What's also impressive is his stepping into the role with the guy who did it for two decades, Stevie Y, retiring. It is so hard to follow a legend and he did it without missing a beat. I'm not dissing O in any way, shape or form. But Lidstrom is just at another level and no way the Wings are what they are without him. And to me it's more impressive to take a good team to the next level then it is to make a so-so team clear the bar, barely, on the last weekend of the season, and then go out in round 1.

You're entitled to disagree, just making my case.

Last edited by KazooSkinsFan on Sat May 03, 2008 3:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Groucho: Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him

Proverb: Failure is not falling down. Failure is not getting up again

Twain: A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

GSPODS wrote:The argument is whether the MVP is the league's best player, or the league's most valuable player to his team

Actually I quoted the statement "most valuable to his team" and geared my argument toward that. I specifically said I don't argue that O is the best individual player. Lidstrom's entire game is geared toward running the D and feeding the O, not performing amazing individual feats.

Groucho: Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him

Proverb: Failure is not falling down. Failure is not getting up again

Twain: A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way

GSPODS wrote:The argument is whether the MVP is the league's best player, or the league's most valuable player to his team

Actually I quoted the statement "most valuable to his team" and geared my argument toward that. I specifically said I don't argue that O is the best individual player. Lidstrom's entire game is geared toward running the D and feeding the O, not performing amazing individual feats.

While I realize an argument can be made for Lidstrom, I hope you realize you'll never make a convincing enough argument for him on a message board overloaded with Capitals fans. We are homers and proud of it.

GSPODS wrote:The argument is whether the MVP is the league's best player, or the league's most valuable player to his team

Actually I quoted the statement "most valuable to his team" and geared my argument toward that. I specifically said I don't argue that O is the best individual player. Lidstrom's entire game is geared toward running the D and feeding the O, not performing amazing individual feats.

While I realize an argument can be made for Lidstrom, I hope you realize you'll never make a convincing enough argument for him on a message board overloaded with Capitals fans. We are homers and proud of it.

In reality, the most valuable player on any team is the goaltender.

I'm under no illusion that he "will" win. I just think he should. I don't think any Wings fans think Lidstrom will win MVP. We just think he should. Just so you know if I haven't mentioned it to you before, "Kazoo" is short for "Kalamazoo" Michigan, where I'm originally from. I like all the Detroit teams except Football. I moved to the DC area when I was 13 and was there most of the next 20 years. The Lions don't want to win and never have. As soon as I started following the Skins they became my team.

Groucho: Man does not control his own fate. The women in his life do that for him

Proverb: Failure is not falling down. Failure is not getting up again

Twain: A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way